This article explains everything you need to know about creating a vub in DeepEditor - from creating a new project to exporting your vub.
A vub is a visual dub that combines your Source Media (original shot) with Driving Data (new performance).
Read the Media Prep article.
Note: DeepEditor is currently only fully compatible with Google Chrome.
Step 1 - Create a Project
The first time you open DeepEditor, your Home screen will be empty. As you start creating vubs, you'll see your Media Library populate with the Project folders.
Click "Create First Shot" and a new window will open, so you can name your new project in the Project field. Existing projects will be displayed in the dropdown list.
Tip: We recommend staying organized. Different video projects should be separated by title with the Project title.
Enter a name for your project.
Note* You are creating a library of your vubs. It is best to name your projects the actual project name or working title in order to easily find them in the future.
Select a project type.
Editing - Select editig if you plan on having a smaller workload with only a few shots max. After selecting, enter and confirm the e-mail address of your Rights Clearance Manager.
Localisation - Select localisation if you will be working with a lot of shots. For instance, a full language change. This selection will not need an approval from a rights clearance manager.
Read more about this role in A.R.T. for Requesters.
Step 2 - Name Your Shot
Select "Create Shot" in the top right corner of the page.
A window will open for you to enter text.
Choose a memorable name for your shot. We recommend including context about what you're uploading, especially if you'll be running the shot multiple times.
Click "Create"
Click on the shot to access the upload section.
Your vubs will appear in the "Shot" area.
Step 3 - Upload Your Source
Upload your Source Media.
Drag and drop the original shot you'd like to vub or click "Add source".
See Supported Media Formats for details of compatible file types.
You can upload a maximum of two Source Media files (this is intended for a proxy and a full resolution media file).
Note: You can upload Source Media and Driving Data simultaneously, without waiting for one to finish before the other.
Step 4 - Upload Your Driving Data
Driving Data is the new performance you'd like to transfer to your Source Media.
Drag and drop your media or click to select it to start the upload.
- Your Driving Data must have the same frame rate and frame count as your Source media.
- If you upload a video file as Driving Data, DeepEditor will transfer the video performance to your Source media. Any audio present in the video file will be present in the final vub, but it will not drive the performance.
- You must upload audio as driving data if you want to drive the performance in the final vub with audio.
Optional - Upload Training Data
You can choose to upload additional Training Data here as well. Training Data is more content of the person you want to vub. If you have clean shots of the character from other takes or excess footage, you can load it into DeepEditor. This enables DeepEditor to create a more accurate mask and smoother mouth movements.
Drag and drop your media or click to select your media to start the upload. You can add up to 40 clips of Training Data at up to 1,440 frames each.
NOTE: Vubs with Training Data can take up to 12 hours to render depending on how much Training Data is uploaded.
See Training Data for more information.
Step 5 - Generate a Vub
Once you have uploaded Source, Driving Data, and Training Data (optional) you will see the "Generate Vub" button.
Step 6 - Name Your Vub
Enter "Vub Name" in the pop up box.
Step 7 - Select Your Output Quality
Select the quality level for your vub export. See DeepEditor Vub Quality Levels for full details on each quality level and how to use it.
Draft Vub
Draft quality vubs have the following characteristics:
- Up to 1920x1080 resolution
- 8-bit color depth
- Refine as much as you need
- Flawless watermark cannot be removed
- Cost $10
A Draft vub is used for creative decision-making and allows filmmakers to experiment with different storytelling options. They are designed to fit in to the offline editing stage.
Draft vubs will be a watermarked proxy .mp4, at the native frame rate, aspect ratio and colorspace of your source. Given they are designed for the offline iterative stage in the edit, there is less of a focus on image quality and more of a focus on a faster turn around, so you may encounter image artefacts around the teeth and tongue.
The question you should be asking at the draft phase is, has the vub worked? i.e. has it solved the problem or enhanced the narrative?
Once you're happy with the Draft vub, you can upgrade to Standard, Professional or Theatrical quality.
Standard Vub
Standard quality vubs have the following characteristics:
- Up to 1920x1080 resolution
- 10-bit color depth
- Precision compositing
- Refine as much as you need
- Flawless watermark removable (rights holder consent required)
- Cost $200
A Standard quality vub is still designed for the offline stage, but there are two key characteristics that distinguish Standard from Draft:
1) The watermark can be removed once you get consent
2) The codec of the vub will match your offline codec (DNxHR SQ, for example)
As a result, even though you are still dealing with offline resolution media, the likelihood of encountering image artifacts is reduced.
Standard vubs are a great choice for use in screeners and internal viewings when you want to show that the vub is working and you want the director and producers to view it without the watermark.
Professional Vub
Professional quality vubs have the following characteristics:
- Up to 3840x2160 resolution
- 10-bit color depth
- Precision compositing
- Refine as much as you need
- Flawless watermark removable (rights holder consent required)
- Cost $1,000
A Professional Quality Vub is one of two tiers of online quality media DeepEditor can create. Professional vubs are suited for broadcast and commercial projects. Supported codecs include DNxHR (up to HQ 10-bit) and ProRes (up to 422 HQ 10-bit).
Theatrical Vub
- Up to 3840x2160 resolution
- 16-bit color depth
- Precision compositing
- Refine as much as you need
- Support for ACES .exr (Coming Soon!)
- Downloadable VFX turnover package (Coming Soon!)
- Flawless watermark removable (rights holder consent required)
- Cost $3,000
A Theatrical vub is designed for theatrical films, streaming platforms, and premium TV.
If your raw camera media is 12-bit or 16-bit, you will be able to use ACES .exr image sequences as your Source and Training Data.
When working at Theatrical quality, DeepEditor is a able to train and render at a 16-bit color depth, so your vub will maintain maximum image fidelity and detail.
After choosing a quality level, click "Next" at the bottom right of the window.
Step 8 - Choose Data Files
After clicking "Next" you'll be prompted to choose which Source and Driving Data files you'd like to use to generate your vub.
If you uploaded Training Data media, you can also choose these files here.
Click "Next" when finished.
Step 9 - Confirm Your Vub Creation
Check all of the information before proceeding, and click "Back" if you'd like to make any changes.
If you approve of all of the information, click "Create".
At this point, a token will get deducted from your account.
Step 10 - Check Vub Status
When your vub is ready, you will get an e-mail notification.
You can always check the status of a vub in the "Vubs" tab.
Clicking on a vub row will open a window on the right side of your screen that shows more information about the vub you are generating, as well as a Preview and an Upgrade option. Here you can also access the Refine & Export options, once your vub has completed.
What you see in the Preview and in the Refine tool is not the full quality resolution of your final export, but a version optimized for the web.
Read Refine a Vub for more information on how to refine your vub.